1. Field of the Invention
The pesent invention relates to paint applicators. In particular, the present invention relates to a "self-feeding" or "pressure fed" paint roller.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Paint rollers have found wide use in applying paint to walls, ceilings, and other surfaces. A paint roller generally includes a cylindrical roller cover which is rotatably attached to a handle and frame assembly. The roller cover is formed by a cylindrical core or tube which has a fabric covering bonded to its outer surface. In most cases, the application of paint with a paint roller has also required the use of a paint tray. Paint is poured into the paint tray, and the paint roller is rolled in the tray to load the covering of the roller cover with paint. The paint roller is then rolled over the surface to be painted, and the paint carried by the roller cover is applied to the surface.
Over the years, there have been numerous proposals for a self-feeding or pressure fed paint roller system. The purpose of these proposed systems is to avoid the need for a paint tray and the periodic reloading of the roller cover with paint. In theory, this should make painting quicker and easier.
In general, the self-feeding paint roller systems proposed in the past include a pressure tank or pump which delivers paint under pressure through a flexible conduit or tube to the paint roller. The paint roller used in the self-feeding paint roller system has been one of two general types.
In the first type of self-feeding paint roller, the pressurized paint is supplied through the handle and supporting frame into the hollow center of the paint roller cover. The inner core of the roller cover is perforated and the paint is forced outward under pressure through the perforations into the fabric covering. Examples of this type of self-feeding paint roller include the Wagner Power Roller sold by Wagner Spray Tech of Plymouth, Minn. Other examples of this type of system are shown in the following United States Patents:
______________________________________ Walker 3,640,630 Henderson 3,826,581 Dean 2,677,839 Woolpert 3,933,415 Bastian 3,457,017 Walker 3,776,645 Chadwick 3,134,130 ______________________________________
There are several significant disadvantages to this first type of self-feeding paint roller. First, the paint must be fed into the center of the paint roller cover and the ends must be sealed to prevent the paint from leaking out. As a result, this type of roller has tended to be complicated, has required extra parts in order to perform the sealing function, has been less reliable, and has required more maintenance.
Second, the roller cover core has required an extra perforating operation, and the supporting frame has reqired a hollow passage rather than a solid wire construction. These factors have led to an unusually high cost when compared to normal paint roller construction.
Third, the paint rollers of this first type have additional weight during operation because the center of the roller cover is completely filled with paint. The center of a standard paint roller, on the other hand, is hollow.
Fourth, the user's choice of roller covers is limited to those which are compatible with the remainder of the system.
The other type of self-feeding paint roller which has been proposed in the past applies paint to the outer surface of the roller cover through some sort of feed tube or manifold mechanism which typically runs parallel to the surface of the roller cover. This feed tube mechanism deposits paint onto the roller covering. One commercially available example of this type of pressure fed paint roller is the Miller Paint Machine sold by K. J. Miller Corporation, Broadview, Ill. Other examples of this second type of self-feeding paint roller are illustrated in the following United States patents:
______________________________________ Brinker 3,310,831 Wurzer et al. 3,549,267 Garcia 4,140,410 Terzian 4,072,429 Sisko 3,143,756 Panfil 2,988,769 ______________________________________
This second type of self-feeding paint roller has also exhibited significant shortcomings in the past. One of the main complaints in painting with rollers in general is the messy spray that is thrown off the outside of the roller as it spins. This spray falls on the painter's hand, clothing, face and hair, and is a mess to clean up if it gets on the floor or surrounding moldings. In those self-feeding paint rollers in which the paint is applied to the outer surface of the roller cover, there has been a greater than normal tendency for the paint to flip off and spray. It also has been common for an excess amount of paint to be fed onto the roller, carried around a full revolution, and then build up again on the back side of the feed tube or manifold, thereby causing dripping and running of paint.
There is a continued need for an improved self-feeding paint roller which is simple in construction, is low cost, is compatible with conventional roller covers, is reliable and easy to maintain, is easy to clean after use, and reduces the tendency of the paint to spatter, drip or run.